The Issues We Have
by Irrelevancy
Summary: As a couple, Ryan and Esposito have one huge problem. No angst, whatsoever. Ryan/Esposito


****

**A/N: For starscythe on livejournal, whom I hope will reveal herself to me on ffn...**

* * *

Today's the day," Kevin began excitedly. "I'm gonna do it."

Castle blinked, momentarily stunned. Then he broke out into a wide grin. "Awesome! I wish you the best of luck, then!"

"Thanks, man," the detective replied with a happy smile. Then, at the lack of anything else to say, "I'm gonna do it...!"

xx

"Today," Javier muttered, hands in his pockets. "Today's the day. I'm gonna do it."

Beckett smiled lightly, and patted his shoulder. "That's great! Good luck, then!"

"Thanks." Esposito's answer was short-lived as he watched the end of the street intently, not aware he was hovering over the dead body until Lanie slapped his leg and told him to move before he stepped on it. With an apology and a deep breath, he muttered again, to convince himself, "I'm gonna do it."

xx

Kevin's eyes met Javier's over the yellow crime scene tape. Kevin's smile widened. Javier gulped and fought against the urge to turn tail and run.

"Mornin' Javi!" Kevin greeted, reaching out and grabbing his partner's gloved hand. He would've kissed him on the cheek, but Castle would've groaned and told them to get a room, which would've attracted the attention of the rest of the precinct and end with embarrassing catcalls and "Aaaaaawwww"s.

"Mornin'." Javier tried to be as excited as Kevin, but he only managed a nervous grimace. "How's it goin'?"

"Actually, I have something to talk to you about."

Had those words been spoken by anyone else than Kevin Ryan to anyone else, it would've been bad. But for some reason, Javier didn't even manage to establish the possible break up pretext. It might've had something to do with the way Ryan's eyes twinkled in the winter sun. He nodded absently, and fingered the box inside his jacket pocket.

"...Actually, me too," he replied, squeezing Kevin's fingers in determination. Kevin blinked in pleasant surprise, and drummed his fingers against the back of Javier's hand.

"Alright. I'll catch you after questioning then."

"Cool."

"Cool."

xx

"I'm gonna ask him later."

Castle grinned at the Irish detective, who was practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Let's see it then," he said proudly, like a father marrying off his son.

Kevin eagerly stuck a hand into his pocket and grabbed the box inside, opening the top and presenting it to Castle. The writer gave it an appreciative glance.

"Nice! Well, not as good as the ones I bought my ex-wives, but still! Nice!"

xx

"Later, after questioning."

Beckett couldn't help a grin at Esposito's more confident air, and straightened from her briefing of the corpse with Lanie.

"Let's see it then," she said, feeling it was her duty as the man's best friend (besides Ryan, of course) to make this as smooth as possible. Javier pulled his fist out of his pocket, and showed Beckett the box.

"Wow," the detective gasped, eyes wide and practically twinkling as she gestured for Lanie to see it. The coroner whistled, and sent Javier a coy look.

"You sly dog. Haven't lost your charm, huh?"

xx

"This is it!" Kevin practically yelled to Castle as he ran past the writer, heading for his partner's black trench coat.

xx

"This is it," Javier whispered quickly to Beckett as he passed by, turning to find his partner in the group of muttering officers.

xx

"This is it," Castle and Beckett said together. They turned to each other in unison surprise, surprised unison.

"Yours too?"

xx

"Javi!" Kevin licked his dried lips, loving the way Javier stared for a second too long. "Let's talk?"

"Sure." Javier shook himself out of his stupor, and glanced around nervously. His gaze snagged on the little side alley he's been eyeing for the past twenty minutes. "Over there?"

"Perfect."

It took about forty seconds too long in Kevin's opinion to get to the alley.

Not enough time, in Javier's.

The two detectives turned to face each other once they were at the mouth of the alley. Kevin didn't really understand why Javier was always going on about his eyes, when his own eyes were such a gorgeous shade themselves. The bit of sun that managed to shine past the walls of New York City lit up Javier's eyes, and at this angle, they looked like caramel. Kevin wouldn't mind drowning in them, if it meant such a sweet death.

"So..." he started, when Javier pressed back against the wall and bit the inside of his cheek. "You wanna go first?"

Javier took a breath, and shook his head. It would be better for Kevin to say whatever he wanted to say first, before he... before he did.

"Alright, then." Normal people wouldn't notice Kevin's slight change in cadence, but Javier did, and knew his partner was nervous. This made him freeze in his tracks. Why would Kevin be nervous? He wasn't going to- Was he? There's no way. He couldn't. He _wouldn't_.

"Javier Esposito," Kevin started, getting on one knee.

He _would_.

"Would you marry-"

"No stop it!" Javier yelled before he could think it through, grabbing his partner by his shoulders and yanking him up. Kevin was too surprised to feel hurt, then confused at Javier's panicked expression. "Don't- Don't!"

"Javi...?"

"_I'm_ supposed to be the one proposing to you! So don't you _dare _go and- and-" Javier blabbered. He was too caught up waving his hands around trying to find words to properly process the fact that tears were falling from Kevin's eyes.

From laughing too hard.

Somehow, Kevin still managed to fall to one knee, having lost his balance in his fit of laughter, and Javier stood above him, watching him, with a dumbfounded expression. The laughter went on and on, until (_finally_), Kevin hiccuped the last of his laughs away, and straightened shakily.

"Well?" Kevin's voice was still high from the giggle fit. "Go on."

Ever the height of brilliance, Javier managed, "Huh?"

The grin still hasn't faded from the detective's lips when Kevin quirked a questioning eyebrow. "Weren't you gonna propose to me? On with it, then."

"Oh, uh," Javier coughed, then scowled lightly at Kevin's decidedly bemused expression. "C'mon. At least, like, get the atmosphere right."

"Oh! Should I swoon a little bit?"

"...You hang around Castle way too much. I should be jealous."

"Except you know I love nobody but you. Yes, by the way."

"Yes?"

"To marrying you."

"But I didn't even ask yet!"

"Your problem."

"Hey!"

"I LOVE YOU, JAVI!"

"Shhhhhhh!"

xx

When Javier finally got the chance to slip the ring onto Kevin's finger at the precinct later that day, he pulled him into a tight hug, and whispered softly, "I love you too."

**

* * *

**

****

**A/N: Ryan and Esposito's biggest issue: They know each other too well, even when they don't know it. ;) Review~!**


End file.
